Bryson exit more bad news for W.H.

Commerce Secretary John Bryson stepped aside Monday, telling President Barack Obama he will take a medical leave of absence two days after he was involved in two car accidents near Los Angeles.

Bryson, whose spokeswoman said he suffered a seizure, said in a memo released by the Commerce Department that he will “focus all of my attention on resolving the health issues that arose over the weekend.”

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“Secretary Bryson informed the White House tonight that he will be taking a medical leave of absence from his position as Commerce secretary as he undergoes tests and evaluations,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.

Bryson’s Commerce Department memo, written to his deputy Rebecca Blank, announced her elevation to acting Commerce secretary.

It was an uncomfortable way to start the week, making it impossible for the White House to reset its economic message after Obama had to walk back his “the private sector is doing fine” comment from Friday. That self-inflicted wound came in a news conference meant to divert from a series of bad news cycles: the massive Democratic loss in the Wisconsin recall, Bill Clinton’s off-message adventures, national security leaks, the dismal May jobs report and his own fundraising numbers for the month showing him millions of dollars behind Mitt Romney.

June’s already shaping up to be one of President Barack Obama’s worst months so far — but it’s not even half over, and his troubles are far from done: The Supreme Court decisions on health care and Arizona’s immigration law loom, as does the continuing trouble over the launch of the national security leaks investigations.

But even the Bryson story is proving difficult for a White House that’s under attack: Speaking to reporters Monday for the first time since the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced that Bryson had hit two cars and was being investigated for a hit and run, White House press secretary Jay Carney wouldn’t confirm the incidents, nor would he say Bryson was fit to serve. Carney repeatedly referred reporters to the Commerce Department and would not comment on the seizure to which the Commerce Department said Bryson attributed the situation.